When we were planning for our trip to Tennessee, we had a couple choices as to when to get there. My hubby's conference started with a welcome at the hotel we would be staying in on Sunday night. Most people fly in that day and hit the ground running. Being the not morning person I am, I petitioned to head out on Saturday instead. That would allow us unrushed travel and allow Bob to get some rest before the start of a busy week for him. Thankfully he agreed. I wasn't looking forward to heading to the airport at o'dark thirty Sunday morning.
This also allowed us to attend church in the "buckle of the Bible belt." We did a little research and opted to try Brentwood Baptist. It's located in a suburb of Nashville, aptly called Brentwood, and it was located between where we were staying in Franklin and Nashville. It was also what one would call a "mega-church."
This was their main campus, but they also had five other campuses in nearby areas plus other ministries. They have over six thousand people attend each week. It was amazing to see such a large church. There were about a thousand people in the service we attended. They have four services on Sunday morning.
We opted to attend the "traditional" service which had a full orchestra playing. They also had a full choir (those chairs behind the orchestra were almost full when they came in) and it was all led by two men and two women leading the songs. It was beautiful, powerful, and overwhelming. The minister was also spot on in his teaching. It was a fantastic way to start our week.
After church we decided to play tourist. This would be one of the only days Bob would have time to explore Tennessee. Most of his time would be spent doing this...
That's Dave Ramsey up there talking...
After listing out the options, we decided to go check out Andrew Jackson's home - The Hermitage.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous while we were there. It was like a late April - early May day here in Maine. Short sleeves and jeans were quite comfortable. Flowers were beginning to bloom. After all the snow and cold we had left behind, it was balm to our souls.
We waited in line for about an hour to get a tour of inside the house. I always find old homes interesting although I wasn't thrilled with the waiting.
As part of the admission price, you are given a recording wand that had a wealth of information about the area making it a wonderful self-guided tour. I did use the time I was in line to learn more about the Jackson's and their plantation.
Unfortunately, like most historical buildings, we couldn't take any photos inside the house itself. Trust me, it was worth the wait...maybe.
Jackson and his wife, Rachel, are buried here.
The original Hermitage. Quite a bit different isn't it?
Bob and I had a fantastic time exploring the grounds and the out buildings and such. It was a wonderful way to start off our week.
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